The Arizona champion., 1887-05-21
GOVERNMENT TIMBER.
Reply of the Aver Lumber Company to Charges made Against them of Cut
 ting Government Timber.

Mir. 5. B. Bevans, agent for the in. terior department, is in Maricopa county, looking after alleged land frauds. We know this officer and be- lieve he will do his duty. He is able and energetic. No other sort of agent would suit MT. Sparks, the ter ! TOT of Land Sharks. If Bevans finds matters on the Salt as they have been represented to him, some people will suffer. Upon his return to this sec ton the Courier, in behalf of the people, desires him to guard the tim Der ot this section. It is charged that the Aver Lumber company are cutting right and left; that they have a monopoly of the lumber business and do not mean to permit owners of small mills to cut lumber for home use. Should this Aver Lumber com pany have things It's own way, it would, we doubt not. raise prices and make it binding on our citizens. While the Courier IS opposed to was ting the timber. citizens who have guarded it from fire, etc., should have some rights to cut for their own use. Prescott Courier.
 The above article appeared in last Mondays Prescott Courier and know ing the Aver Lumber company to be of high commercial standing, rep resentative of the CHAMPION called on them and asked them what answer they had to make to the charges pub lished by the Courier. Their reply is as follows:
 There have been few persons in- terested in mills in this territory who have been cutting timber on Govern ment land until Major Bevans' arri. val in this vicinity.
 Mj1r Bevans is, as the Courier says, able and energetic, and IS just the sort of agent to bring a halt to the depreiations that have been go- ing on for years plst. NJ doubt those persons feel somewhat chagrined by heing prevented from further ope- ratious in that direction through the instrumentality of Major Bevans and are actuated in giving the "tafy" contained in the Courier about him and imputing the standing of the Ay- CT LImber company for mere petty selfish motives. There is not a good citizen in this territory that will pay the least attention to what is contain ed m the above article in reference to this company. It doesn't give us moments concern. We have been accustomed to the "dying walls" of a few unprincipled persons, who have been trying all along to connect us with the worx they have been carry. ing on for years.
 1 We have this to say, to whom i! may concern, that the Aver Lumber company began operations here five years ago, investing over Sa5o, 900 in their plant, and began saving opera tions on the timber lands owned by the A & P. R. R. We have lease of all the available timber which the A. & P. R. R. owns in this territory which lease has thirteen years to run, This gives us about all the legitimate timber in this vicinity. The follow ing is copy of a standing notice in our office and explains itself:
 NOTICE.
 Every person employed by thi: company Is strictly forbidden to cut any timber on government land un der any circumstances whatever. I'm mediate dismissal from the service O the company will follow any known violation of this order and the person or persons so transgressing will bt held liable for all consequences o their own acts.
 (signed) D. M. RIoRDAN, 1 General Manager. Il In reference to "raise prices ano make it binding or our citizens," we have this to say: Our prices now art and always have been, since the in corporation of this company, lower in proportion than the prices of any other mill in the west; this too, il the face of the high price we have had to pay for labor and supplies.
 We hope to continue in the same course, notwithstanding the repeated but feeble efforts made to injure u: by a few black-mailing scoundrels who have been preying on the Gov ernment and the timber owned b, this company.
 Af,er Diptheria.